Sassy Girl
by danielle.reich1
Summary: I had previously posted it, but I lost it! Sassy Bella. Head-strong Jasper. Tragedy, family, eventual falling in love. Rated T for now.
1. Chapter 1

This is a renewed attempt at writing fanfic. I'm not sure how well this will be taken, constructive criticism is appreciated and if I should continue, please let me know

I own nothing…on with the show!

The day started off like any other. The air was dry and I could taste the sand as the air blew across the Arizona desert. My hair whipped around my face as I tried to take in as much sun as possible. I'm going to miss this. Today is the day I leave the sun and sand behind and trade it for rain and trees. Today I move in with my father Charlie. It's my senior year of high school and my mom just married a guy named Phil. Don't get me wrong, I like Phil, but I wasn't happy I have to leave my warm Arizona days so they could travel the world on a year-long honeymoon. Washington can't be too bad, can it? I, Isabella Marie Swan, being of sound mind and body, am about to start the craziest journey of my life.

The trip to Forks wasn't too bad. My mom and Phil were leaving at the same time, so we could say good-bye before we split for our separate terminals. I settled in for the flight and fell asleep as the plane took off. I woke up feeling refreshed (I know, I'm the only one who can sleep on a plane and feel refreshed) and ready for Washington. I gathered my things, and found Charlie looking sheepish as I walked up for a hug. "Welcome home Bells." He muttered as we climbed into the car. We had a few hours drive from Seattle to Forks. I tried to catch up with him, but idle chit-chat just isn't our style.

When we got to Forks, Charlie helped me carry my bags into my bedroom. I hadn't been in this room since I was 5 years old. Charlie did well though in transforming it from the sunny, yellow toddler room to a deep purple and white adult sanctuary. I wasn't expecting this at all. I threw my arms around him and proceeded to settle myself in. "Um, Bells, I know you've traveled quite a lot today, but tonight there's a benefit at the Cullen's house for the Forks' Hospital. Would you accompany me?" I didn't know what to say, but I figured it would give me a chance to meet people in Forks and get my name out there to start networking. "Sure! What would I wear though?" "I called your mom and got your size. There's a dress hanging in your closet and a pair of shoes." I opened the closet and a black dress was hanging there. It was beautiful. "Thank you Charlie. I love it! What time do I need to get ready by?" "It starts at 8, so that gives you about two hours to get ready." Shit! Two hours to shower, do my hair and make-up? "I'll start getting ready."

The Cullen's house was beautiful. It seemed to be made out of all glass. But I could dimly see rich wood between the thick panels of glass. There were about 50 cars parked in the field next to the house and I could see a giant white tent in the back yard. Charlie and I took a deep breath and got out of the car as the valet opened our doors. I took his arm and we walked along the path until we reached the tent. What I saw took my breath away. Along with the giant white tent, there were twinkling lights among all the trees, colored water fountains throughout the gardens, and waiters in sharp black tuxes were walking around with wonderfully smelling trays of food on their arms. But that wasn't what took my breath away. Oh no. What took my breath away was the blonde god I bumped into as I walked into the tent. When I looked into his eyes, the world melted away and he was the only thing I could see. Warm, amber eyes, curly blonde hair, muscles that are making his jacket strain across his shoulders….I could stare at him for days. But just as I make another sweep of his body, he catches my eye and I blush a deep red. I hear a sharp intake of breath and the most magnificent, deep southern drawl graces my ears. "I'm sorry darlin' I didn't hurt you did I?"


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry I haven't updated in awhile. My muse was refusing to cooperate me. I finally had to tempt her with chocolates and sweet nothings in order for her to return to me.

And now, back to our program…

I couldn't breathe. His voice was as thick as honey and it made parts of me come alive, parts I never thought would come alive in a town like this. "Oh! No, you didn't hurt me. I have a terrible habit of not watching where I'm going. See, no harm, no foul." I couldn't help but flirt with him a little bit. But a voice in the back of my head was telling me that something wasn't right with him. His body vibrated with dangerous vibes and he made the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge. But there was just _something_ about the man that stood in front of me. Something that drew me in, something I couldn't resist. I stuck out my hand, regardless of the tingle of fear; it's only polite to introduce myself. "Now that I've violated your personal space, I figured it is only proper I introduce myself. I'm Isabella Swan, daughter of Chief Swan. Please, call me Bella." He grabbed my hand and turned it over to give the back of my hand a sweeping kiss. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Swan, I'm Jasper Whitlock Hale. I'm the nephew of Doctor Cullen." My body shivered when the coolness of his lips and hand registered in my brain. Wait…coolness? The human body normally runs around 98.6 degrees. Granted, Forks usually sets about a chill on the skin because of the constant rainy, cool weather. But it usually doesn't make a person's skin this cold….something is definitely off about him.

_Charlie POV_

I'm glad Bella is finally here. I've missed my baby girl, so when she called to ask if she could come stay with me for a while I was thrilled. Normally, I don't mind being alone, but lately things have seemed off. I haven't been feeling my normal self, and so I made an appointment with Doctor Cullen to get checked over before Bella got here. I met with him earlier in the day before I picked her up from the airport.

"_Well Charlie, I have some good news and some bad" said Dr. Cullen. "Which would you like first?" "Well doc, how about the bad and then the good?" replied Charlie. "You have breast cancer. While I know this is a shock, we've caught it in the early stages and we should be able to kick it into remission with some chemotherapy, diet change, and the proper rest and relaxation. First, we need to set up an appointment to go in and take out the rest of the lumps in each breast. Then we can set up the chemo treatments. I'm going to want to see you weekly for the next few weeks until we can figure out what kind of schedule works best for you. I know this is a shock, but do you have any questions for me?" Charlie sat there stunned. He was finding it difficult to process what Doctor Cullen just said. "Breast cancer? How is it even possible for men to get breast cancer?" "Well Charlie, men still have breast tissue, and about 2,000 men develop it. Yours is still in the early stages. It hasn't spread into your lymph nodes yet. With surgery and chemotherapy, we should be able to get you into remission. I know that Bella is coming into town tonight, and that the last thing you want to do is come to a benefit. But I would be honored if you and Bella would be my guests this evening. It will help her ease into meeting all of the people of Forks, especially since the majority will be there this evening. Both of you are going to need a lot of support in the months to come, and having friends will do you both some good." Charlie couldn't resist his offer. He had bought Bella the black dress already, hoping that she would have a chance to wear it at some point. It was just too beautiful hanging in the window and he had to do something to welcome her home properly. This just gave him more of an excuse to go. "Alright Doc. Bella and I will be there this evening. Maybe after we can talk to Bella together and you can answer any questions she has. I want her to be happy here, but I don't want to hide anything from her. She's a grown woman and she can handle it. I don't want her shut out. She's going to want to be beside me every step of the way. It's just who Bella is. She's got an incredible heart."_

I still couldn't get over the fact that I had breast cancer. But I knew that being here tonight was a good idea. It felt like pieces of a puzzle were clicking together. There were so many people in attendance and they were all so happy I couldn't help but soak up the smiles. I left Bella talking to Doctor Cullen's nephew, and when I looked around to find her, I found her standing with him. She was staring up into his eyes and something just didn't feel right. It looked he wanted to devour her, like she was a piece of chocolate cake and he had a sweet tooth. I didn't like this one bit, something was telling me that I needed to step in, but what I saw next shocked the hell out of me.

_Bella_

"I don't mean to be rude Jasper, but are you cold?" he chuckled at my question and I couldn't help but feel my lower regions tighten with the melodic sound of his laugh. "Well, I don't know what you mean Bella, I sure don't feel cold, but maybe you could warm me up a little if you are so worried" he replied with a slight smirk. Jasper reached down to put his hand on my lower back and pulled me in close. _Oh hell no. He is not putting the moves on me in front of potential references! How do I get out of this without making a scene?_ "Jasper Hale! I don't know what kind of woman you think I am, but I am not the kind that goes around and 'warms people up' that I don't know. This is a benefit your aunt and uncle are putting on, surely you could show them a little respect?!" My hands flew up to my mouth when I realized that I was shouting by the end of my little speech, everyone in the crowd was looking in our direction with stunned looks on their faces. "I'm so sorry everyone, I'm sure I'm not making the best impression, but allow me to introduce myself. I am Isabella Swan; please feel free to call me Bella. I'm sure my father has talked me up to anyone who would listen, but I'm looking forward to getting to know all of you and you me. Please, go on and enjoy your evening. Doctor and Missus Cullen, I am so sorry for the rude interruption." I looked around trying to find Charlie. I didn't want to pull him out of the benefit, but I had surely embarrassed not only myself, but Charlie as well. And for that, I felt slightly guilty. But no one tries to make a move on Bella Swan without permission. I'm not some little girl who falls blindly for the first pretty man that comes along. No, I have standards and I will not dismiss said standards. I refuse to be controlled. I have a brain, and dammit I'm going to be the one to use it!

Once I found Charlie, I made my way over to him. "Bells, I know you want to leave, but Doctor Cullen needs to talk to us after the benefit is over. It should only last another hour or so, can you find it in you to stay? This is something really important to not only to me, but to you as well." I knew Charlie wouldn't ask this of me unless it was something really important, neither of us handle embarrassment well. "Sure dad. I just need to get some air, please excuse me?" I gave him a kiss on the cheek and walked out of the tent.

The night was beautiful. Despite the lights from the tent, the sky had cleared enough that I could see the stars and moon peeking out from behind the lazy clouds that drifted by. It almost felt magical out in the garden and I couldn't help but lose myself on the bench sitting under the stars, surrounded by the wonderful fragrance of a well-tended flower garden. "May I sit with you?" A familiar voice asked. "Only if you can act like a gentleman Mister Hale." I felt the arm of his jacket brush against my bare arm as he sat next to me on the bench. "I'm sorry if I embarrassed you back there Bella. That wasn't my intention at all. I'm normally a gentleman. My momma would be so disappointed if she saw the way I treated you. Please allow me to make it up to you?" He looked almost angelic in the moonlight with the beams glinting of his pale skin and golden hair. "Well Jasper, what did you have in mind?"

**Author's Note:**

**I obviously don't own anything. If I did, Bella wouldn't have been weak. She would have been full of sass! And, she would have been with Jasper. **

**I welcome each and every one of your reviews and comments. If you want to see the characters go somewhere, or you want to see the story take a twist, just drop me a PM and I'll see what I can do. Now, when it comes to Lemons, do you prefer your lemonade tart and full of lemony goodness, or do you want sugary, sweet lemonade with lemon flavors?**


	3. Chapter 3

Hello dearest readers! For those of you who are disappointed with the length of my chapters, please allow me to tell you a little about my writing style. I write when an idea pops into my head, and I continue to write until I feel myself exhaust the idea and my creativity. Writing to me is a coping mechanism. There are nights where I just want to write a few paragraphs (obviously, I don't post those, they're my jumping off points) and then there are nights when I write pages and pages of material. I know going from the word document to fanfic makes a difference, but I assure you, I'm going to try and keep my chapters ranging from 4-6 pages. If you have any questions, comments or concerns, I'm always around…and now back to my favorite couple!

_Jasper_

I can't believe I'm sitting next to this beautiful girl; no, not girl, woman. And let me tell you, Bella Swan was nothing but a _woman_. She has the most stunning auburn hair that falls in cascades down her back until it reaches the top of her hips. She has the most flawless alabaster skin and ruby red lips that are just dying to be kissed. But that's going to have to wait. Bella isn't one that is simply going to fall for me because of my natural tendency to attract a woman. I'm going to have to woo her into being mine, and mine she will be. I can feel the emotional roller coaster going on behind the brave front she's putting out and I'm getting drunk on the emotions. I'm also becoming concerned because her blood isn't calling to me like every other person in this town. It's like she has no blood in her body. But I know this isn't the case because I can see the flush in her skin from the embarrassment from the scene in the tent earlier. She fascinates me, and she makes me want to do things that I've never done before. She makes me want to _try_ and be something.

"Well darlin' nothin' would please me more than if you would allow me to escort you to a dinner and a movie on Friday night. I want to show you how much of a gentleman my momma raised me to be, what do you say?" I laid it on thick, knowing exactly what my deep southern accent did to this girl (there are some advantages to being an empath). I could hear her heart flutter and see the blush slowly creep up her cheeks. "Well Jasper, I think dinner and a movie on Friday night would be great. But there's one thing you have to do first. You have to ask the Chief."

_Bella_

Usually, when a guy has to ask for a father's permission, they skirt around the issue or get nervous. Jasper did neither. "I already did darlin' I asked him before I came to find you. I wanted to know what I was going to get myself into once I sought you out. If there's one thing I've learned about women, it's this: get to know their moods and reactions. I knew you were upset and I wanted to make sure it would be appropriate for me to come out and talk to you, or if you would want to just be alone." _Well hell_, he really has me figured out. Before I had a chance to reply to his statement, Charlie and Doctor Cullen came out to find us. "Bells, it's time to go have that talk with the doctor" Charlie said upon finding us. "Why don't we take this into my office" came the voice of Doctor Cullen (or as I noticed, Doctor Yummy).

We walked into the most beautiful office, and got comfortable in the oversized chairs surround the massive desk. "Well Bella, Charlie has asked me to talk to you and answer any questions or concerns you may have. He came to see me earlier today and was complaining of a few symptoms. I ran some tests and did a physical work up on him. When I was in the middle of his physical, I noticed a small growth next to the base of his nipple. While slight bumps around the nipple are normal, you know that some growths can indicate an issue. I did a small biopsy of the growth and immediately sent it to be cultured. We got lucky that it was a slow day and the lab could have the results to us rather quickly. The biopsy showed that Charlie has breast cancer." Once Doctor Cullen mentioned the words breast cancer, the breath in my chest constricted and my vision started to blur. Not Charlie. Not my handsome, wonderful father whom I'm just now getting the chance to really know. I can't lose the only parent who has actually taken an interest in my life. I started to sway, but I stopped myself. No! I will not be the damsel in distress. This is not about me. This is about Charlie, and damn it, I'm going to do everything possible to make sure my father gets better. "Okay Doctor Cullen. What's the plan? How are we going to get Charlie into remission? Is he doing chemo? Are you doing an MRI or CAT scan? Does he have any other lumps? What are his chances looking like?" I fired of the questions in quick succession, not giving the man a chance to reply before I shot out another question to him.

_Charlie_

She's taking this better than I thought. I was expecting her to completely break down and not know how to handle this. But I underestimated my daughter. She was quick to jump into action and demand that the doctor fill her in on the course of action immediately. She wanted to help me fight this, and knowing that my daughter is standing beside me gives me even more motivation to do this. I will make the changes in my diet and exercise. No more going to the diner every Thursday for a steak, loaded baked potato and berry cobbler. It's going to be lean protein, leafy greens, and fresh fruits from this point on. I'm going to do the chemo and whatever else is necessary to be there for my daughter. I want to escort her down the aisle. I want to see my grandchildren born and raised. I want to watch her graduate college and start a career. I want a life with my daughter. I'm not letting cancer beat me. I'm not letting it rob me of the life I want. I am determined to fight this.

_Bella_

I looked at Jasper, "I'm sorry Jasper, but I need to focus on my father right now. Can we take a rain check on that date?" Before he had a chance to respond, Charlie jumped right in, "Now, wait just a minute! Jasper asked you on a date? When? Where? You can go on this date Bells. We've got awhile before I'm going to be weak from the chemo that I'm going to need help. Take this time to enjoy yourself and be young. Don't let this cancer thing stand in the way of your happiness. I'm not letting it get to me." Charlie shocked me. I wasn't expecting him to jump to Jasper's defense and encourage me to go out with someone. He's normally more reserved than this. "Fine, Jasper. You may escort me to dinner and a movie."

**6 months later**

A lot of things have happened in the past six months. Charlie had three lumps removed out of both sides of his chest. The scans revealed that the cancer was more aggressive than Carlisle originally thought. Charlie has gone through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and has been in a few test trials of new drugs that are supposed to be geared toward men with breast cancer. He has his good days and his bad. He had to give up his chief position as his body had become too weak to go into work most days. I've had to finish my high school work online as Charlie needs round the clock care, and I refuse to let a stranger in the house when I'm perfectly capable of taking care of him. The only times I'm not with Charlie is when Jasper comes to take me out on our weekly dates and forces me to take some time to do something fun. We've been dating for about six months now, ever since that fateful Friday night date.

_Jasper pulled up to Bella's door in a big grey truck. She giggled when she saw it because it fit his "cowboy" personality perfectly. Since the night she found about Charlie's cancer, her and Jasper had become inseparable. There wasn't a night that Bella didn't spend watching movies with Jasper or he would come over and watch the game with Charlie just to keep them company and their minds off of things. Carlisle had told Bella she was free to come and see him any time she had any questions or concerns about Charlie and the plan. But for the time being she wanted to enjoy the seemingly healthy looking Charlie now before he started his therapies. As Jasper walked to her door, she couldn't help but notice how _handsome _he looked. He was wearing dark jeans, a charcoal grey long sleeve t-shirt that rippled every time his muscles moved and black cowboy boots. He wasn't over dressed or dressed in anything that would draw attention to him, and Bella liked it. She hated men that dressed to draw attention to themselves, men that tried to make their dates jealous by showing off around other people. If she was going to date someone, she wanted them to be comfortable and themselves. Not a façade of whom they thought she wanted them to be. _

"_Darlin' you look gorgeous. Are you ready to get our night started?" She shook her head yes and looked back at Charlie. "We will be home as soon as the movie is over. Take it easy and try to get some rest. I love you." And with that she closed the door and walked to Jasper's truck. "Well, where are you taking me Jasper? I know you said dinner and a movie, but you never really specified." He chuckled and told Bella they were going to a little place he had found tucked away and that they were going to watch the new vampire movie that had just come out. It was decided to go and see the movie first as neither one of them were really hungry yet. The movie was so clichéd. They described the vampires as having hard, cold skin that sparkled in the sunlight. The main vampire made a girl fall in love with him by just looking into his eyes. Apparently eye contact was all a vampire needed to know when he had found his soul mate. And these vampires didn't drink human blood; they lived off the blood of animals. They were fast, but none of them could fly. They had other powers though, and I guess that was kind of cool. I thought the movie was kind of silly and didn't scare me in the least bit. The love scenes left something to be desired, as the pretty boy didn't want to ruin the virtue of his girlfriend. Jasper and Bella talked about the differences between the vampires in that movie versus the vampires that are talked about in other movies and myths. He made her laugh, and he seemed to be so involved with what she had to say. He never looked at any of the other girls in the restaurant, which made her feel good since the majority of them were definitely vying for Jasper's attention. The night was going well, and a clear friendship was forming between Jasper and Bella. But that was before the night made a very interesting turn…._


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm so sorry I've been away and left you hanging. My life has been a series of ups and downs and I couldn't find it in me to put pen to paper, or well, fingers to keys. **

**Just a recap, Charlie has breast cancer, he and Bella are attending a benefit as the guests of the Cullens and we just saw Bella hand Jasper his ass! ****I love a character that is full of sass!**

**And now back to the show!**

_Bella POV_

"Charlie! I'm here! How are you feeling today?" I had to keep the cheery tone in my voice as I walked into his hospital room. The cancer ended up being more aggressive than Doctor Cullen predicted and Charlie didn't respond to the treatment the way we were all hoping. He had been in the hospital now for about a month and he had his good days and his bad. The hardest part was seeing all of his beautiful hair fall out section by section. At one point he had me just shave his head. He said it was easier to just see it all go at once than to have little bald patches. I had a feeling that today was going to be a bad day. He had chemo this morning and it always took a lot out of him. He didn't even stir when I walked in and called his name. To say I was worried would be an understatement. I tried to put on a brave face in front of Charlie, but every bad night I would go home and cry in Jasper's arms. Ever since the night he took me to see that movie, we've been inseparable. I don't know if I could handle all of this without his support. Charlie had me make his funeral arrangements already so that if the time came, I wouldn't have to worry about it. _That_ was a fight that I still remember almost fondly.

"_Charlie dammit! I am not about to go and prepare a funeral for a man that is still LIVING! You haven't died yet and you are getting stronger. Your white cell counts are up and you are gaining weight back!" "Bella, I'm only going to tell you this once. You will go down to see Bill Miller and make my arrangements. I want a dark coffin with a blue lining. I want upbeat music. I want the standard Bible verses. I want my brothers at the police station to carry me out. And you will make sure all of this happens or so help me…" "Fine Charlie, have it your way, but I'm not happy about this!" _

I couldn't help but admit his firey passion that day. He wanted things just so. He wanted to be remembered for the man he was, and not the cancer patient that people saw today. He had me go get his police uniform dry-cleaned and special pins for all of the men that would carry him out of the church. It tore something deep inside me to have to make the plans, but he was right. It was easier to do now while I was still in my right mind than to try and make the plans when I was in the process of grieving.

_Beep. Beep. Beep. Buzz….._

"Charlie? Charlie? No! Charlie come back! I need a nurse in here! Help him! Bring my daddy back to me!" The nurses came rushing in and my world went black.

_Jasper POV_

I knew something was wrong. The night I took Bella out she found out I was a vampire. There were a few guys who tried to harass her when I stepped out as Peter called me. I could have killed him right then and there. I couldn't contain myself. I had to restrain myself from killing the men, but Bella was doing a good job of holding them off when I came up on them. But I digress. Bella and I had become very close. I was there to hold her when she was sad and there to listen to her rant and rave when a nurse didn't treat Charlie right. But the last month had been hard on her. She wouldn't let me lessen the pain, but I was doing everything I could to make things easier on her. I would help her out at the house and sit with Charlie when she would be in a meeting regarding his health and insurance issues. I was on my way into the hospital when I heard her yelling for help. I got there just as they were putting Bella on a stretcher and pronouncing Charlie dead. This wasn't going to be good. It was time to call in the family. She was going to need all of us to get through this.


	5. Chapter 5

_Peter POV_

I looked over at Charlotte. "Babe, it's time for us to head to Forks. The Major is going to need us sooner than he thinks. I just have a feeling Bella-bean is going to give him one hell of a go." We packed up the truck and called the farm hand to make sure he would take care of the horses for us while we were gone. It only took us a few hours to get from our ranch in Wyoming to the big house in Forks. When we pulled up to the house, Jasper's truck was nowhere to be seen and the rest of the family seemed to be lost. "Oye. Why are you all running around like you've no idea how to function? How has one tiny human wrecked your sense of up and down? Pull your head out of your arses and let's get ready to help the Major with the shit storm that's brewing." They all looked at me like I was speaking Swahili. This can't be good. This family isn't prepared for the Major and his mate. Especially when they find out what I've already known. I don't even think that the Major is ready for what's about to come. But I know that Bella-bean is going to handle it beautifully. Now I just need to sit back and wait.

_Bella POV_

I woke up with a start. Jasper's face was right beside mine and all I could see was his beautiful golden eyes. "_Jasper_." I whispered. "Please. Please tell me he isn't gone." "Bella. Baby, I'm so sorry. The nurses say there was nothing they could do. His body was just so tired from trying to fight." I couldn't believe it. My daddy was gone. No longer would I get to hear his laugh. No longer would I get to feel his arms wrapped around me in one of his rare hugs. I sat up and immediately went into planning mode. "We need to call the funeral home, we need to call the priest, we need to call the family and Reneé. Jasper, can you see if they'll let me say goodbye? I want to say something to Charlie and then I need to get out of here." I walked into his room and the nurse had pulled the sheet up to his chest and made it look like he was just asleep. "Daddy I'm so sorry. I wish I could have made it all go away, but at least you are no longer in pain. I don't have the words to tell you how much I love you or how much you mean to me. I know that I will forever be grateful to you for making me into the woman I am today. You don't have to worry about me anymore. Jasper will take good care of me. Daddy he is so great. It doesn't bother me that he's a vampire. He could drink human blood or animal blood and he would still be a great man. I know we haven't been together for very long, but I think he's the one. I really do." I gave him a kiss on the forehead and walked out. It was time to put my father to rest.


End file.
